Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Fall 2011: Volume 38, Issue 7
Citation preview
California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, California | Tuesday, December 6, 2011 | Volume XXXVIII | Issue 7
-The Padres have a brand new look. Read about their new uni-forms on page 2. -Pause for Paws is back again to de-stress students. Check page 4 for pictures. - What’s your favorite holiday fl ick? Read staff picks on page 7.
At the start of this semester, the Civility Campaign was or-ganized and founded on the CSUSM campus.
The campaign, led by the Dean of Students Offi ce, promotes the essence of community and the values needed to reach a strength-ened sense of community. This idealistic commu-nity is said to be reached through the practice of a set of values and respect.
“The university strives to be a community demon-strating respect for oneself and for others, treatment of others with dignity, and behaviors which promote a physically and psychologi-cally safe, secure and sup-portive climate enabling all community members to engage as full and active participants where the free fl ow of ideas are encouraged and affi rmed,” the Civility Campaign page on the CSUSM website states. The campaign’s committee consists of roughly 15 members comprised of CSUSM faculty,
staff and students. The commit-tee lives by a pledge which states, “As a member of the CSUSM community I will conduct myself with care, respect, and empathy
while acknowledging the culture and humanity of others.”
During U-Hour on the fi rst Tuesday of every month, the Civility Campaign hosts a t-shirt day in which free shirts are
awarded to the winners of an op-portunity drawing.
On the Civility webpage, stu-dents are also encouraged to nom-inate any CSUSM faculty, staff
and students who display civil-ity on campus. At the end of the month, the committee will award one Civility ICON (Initiating Civil Opportunities Now) with their picture displayed on the
Civility website, a multi-colored shirt and a Civility hat.
The committee’s vision is that “one simple act will have a rip-ple effect and a tsunami of civility
will take over our cam-pus.”
The Civility webpage also features Monthly News & Exercises. The exercises act as a way to practice and learn about civility. One such exercise featured in the November News & Ex-ercises involves writing a letter to someone who has had a positive im-pact on you and reading it to them.
“With Civility, we will reach a consensus where we can identify with each other not by the political spectrum, physical characteristics, or by societies stand-ards, but by where we stand for the good of the community,” student
and University Student Union Representative Matt Walsh says on the Thoughts from the Com-mittee page.
Photo courtesy of Csusm Civility facebook
-New Play Festival - Telling Stories7 – 9 p.m., Arts Hall 101.CSUSM Theatre, ACE Scholars and The Playwright’s Project have joined to-gether to create an evening of original short plays by foster youth. Their work examines the challenges, celebrates the positive choices and shares the lessons that shape their lives.
-Bone Marrow Registration/ENTR 320 Tuesday, Dec. 6, 8:30 a.m. - Wednes-day, Dec. 7, 3:30 p.m., Founder’s Plaza, Chavez Plaza, Kellogg Plaza.Help prof. Scott Landow’s business class reach a 2,000 student, bone marrow donation goal, to help save a CSUSM student’s family member.
-Farmers Market1 - 6 p.m., Parking lot B.Connect to your food and fi nd out where it’s coming from; come meet San Diego farmers. Open on Wednesdays, through winter break.
-Whiteness Forum10:30 a.m -2 p.m., Commons 206.The Communication Department tack-les the concept of white privilege and racism. This interactive forum also discusses the effects of racism in the United States.
-Apifsa Scholarship/Fundraising LuncheonNoon – 2 p.m., Clarke 113.Join the Apifsa for a festive Asian style lunch at the fi rst annual Asian Pacifi c Islander Faculty Staff Association Fun-draiser Luncheon. The event will fea-ture good food and recognize student leaders that make Cal State San Mar-cos and the community a better place. Cost: $20 Faculty/Staff, $15 Students. To buy tickets, contact the event chair Cathy Nguyen.
-CSUSM Vocal Ensemble Concert7 – 9 p.m., Arts Hall 101.Enjoy the musical stylings of fellow CSUSM students performing various genres of music.
Get The Pride onlinestraight to your phone
On Nov.17, University Police responded to a call on cam-pus regarding students getting “scammed” out of mon-ey by a small group of people at the Library Plaza.
A week be-fore, Nov. 10, Ashleigh Mel-lard, junior, was one of the stu-dents ap-proached by a man u s i n g the name ‘James.’
“He told me I would be buying books to donate to a chil-dren’s hospital” Mellard said.
The books were “one for $26, but she must buy them in pairs, or she could be 4 for $80 and
he’ll spot the rest,” ‘James’ told Mellard.
Mellard was convinced into his scam after James talked to her for 45 minutes.
“The situation was weird the whole time,” Mellard said and afterwards knew it was
a scam. On Nov. 17 at
the Library Plaza, police questioned
‘James’ and two other girls af-
ter they re-ceived a tip.
A c -c o r d -ing to
Mellard, the young
p e o p l e were not ar-
rested on Nov. 17 because nobody
fi led a police report of the initial incident and nobody could provide receipt proofs.
Students get scammed on campus
California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) has been rec-ognized by StateUniversity.com as the safest four-year university in California in its Safest Schools re-port.
Dominik Mazur, founder of StateUni-versity.com, said in a press release, “Stu-dent safety and cam-pus crime are some-times overlooked during the college evaluation process. We believe it is important for students to be aware of crime on campus and in the surrounding community.”
The StateUniversity.com 2011 School Safety Ratings are based on campus crime statistics as re-ported by 450 of the largest U.S. colleges and universities. Each institution’s safety score, which can range from 0 to 100, is cal-
culated based on the number and type of campus crime report-ed during the year. As seen at http://www.stateuniversity.com/rank_by_state/safety_score_rank/CA.html, CSUSM tops all other
California universities, ranking in fi fth place when community col-leges are considered, with an overall score of 95.79.
“We are proud to be the safest university in California,” commented CSUSM Chief of Police Ronald Hackenberg. “24/7 the University
Police Department works with the entire campus community to keep Cal State San Marcos a safe place to work, study and visit. We ask everyone who comes onto campus to be our eyes and ears and to report suspicious activity.”
CSUSM’s 2011 Annual Secu-rity and Fire Safety Report can be viewed at http://www.csusm.edu/police/Clery.pdf.
Web Site Ranks CSUSM #1 in Campus Safety
FeaturesCalifornia State University San Marcos, San Marcos, California | Tuesday, December 6, 2011 | Visit The Pride online at csusmpride.com Sports California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, California | Tuesday, December 6, 2011 | Visit The Pride online at csusmpride.com
In spring 2012, the Major League Baseball (MLB), San Diego Padres will ditch their wave styled font and shadowy colors around the player’s numbers for a bolder, traditional look.
During the 2011 season, the Padres debuted their military inspired uniform that featured a digital cam-ouflage design, which will remain the same.
Throughout the team’s
history, the primary uni-form changed four times. The original 1975 edition Padres uniform was yellow and brown and stated the city they represented.
In 1984, their uniforms changed again to a retro look, that kept the same colors.
The 1998 season intro-duced the blue and white colored jerseys.
The last change occurred in 2005, when the Padres updated their look to a modern and clean appear-
ance. According to MLB.com,
the Padres president stated, “I think the most loved uni-forms in baseball are the ones that have tradition and history…they stand the test of time. They’re not trendy colors or trendy design…but they’re a classic base-ball style.”
This baseball season, ex-pect a classic, traditional look for the San Diego Pa-dres.
AZUSA | HIGH DESERT | INLAND EMPIRE | LOS ANGELES | MURRIETA
ORANGE COUNTY | SAN DIEGO | VENTURA COUNTY | ONLINE
(800) 825-5278www.apu.edu/explore/[email protected]
CallClickEmail
Earn your degree in education in 12 –18 months at APU.
Classes start five times throughout the year. Contact us today!
12921
With more than 36 credential and master’s degree opportunities,we’re confident we have a program for you.
APU offers:• Convenient classes at 8 Southern California locations and online.
• Programs in teaching, counseling, physical education, and administration.
• NCATE-accredited programs recognized by all 50 states and internationally.
Darin Curtis, M.A. ’95Tierra del Sol Middle School2011 California Teacher of the Year
Volleyball: Brittany ThompsonFreshman Brittany Thompson took little time adjusting to the college game, playing a large role for the 29-8 Cougars, a young team playing in their very first season. She led the team with an impressive .300 hitting percentage, and was a consistently efficient player for the Cougars as they went on to win the A.I.I. Conference Championship and continue on to the NAIA National Tournament. Thompson had 6 games this season with 8 or more kills.
Men’s Baketball: Tim SteedSenior guard Tim Steed has been excellent in all areas for the first-year Cougars. He leads the team in scoring with 18.6 p/g, as well as steals with 2.2. In addition to his strong defense, Steed is a good rebounder and is efficient with the basketball. Through November, he shot an incredible 54.5% on 3-pointers, and boasts nearly a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio. He has also stepped up big when it matters most, scoring 35 points in leading CSUSM to a victory over #2 ranked Mountain State (WV).
Women’s Baketball: Sidney DobnerSenior point guard Sidney Dobner has been a floor general and all-around key con-tributor for the first year Cougar basketball team, leading the team in scoring (10.7 p/g), assists (4.3), and steals (2.0). Dobner has led the Cougars to several road wins over NCAA Division II schools, including impressive victories over #14 ranked Grand Canyon (17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) and Cal State San Bernadino (22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals).
Women’s Soccer: Kaycee GunionKaycee Gunion has been a rock for the Cougars in her 4 years at CSUSM, and this year’s A.I.I. Conference Tournament was no different. She held opponents scoreless throughout the tournament, earning first team All-Tournament Honors, and was se-lected as the Conference MVP. Gunion allowed only 6 goals in 20 games played this season, notching 54 saves and leading CSUSM to their winningest season in program
Women’s Cross-Country: Suzanne CornwellA member of last year’s national championship team and a Track and Field All-Amer-ican, Cornwell continued to excel in her senior year. After running the 2nd fastest time in school history, and winning the A.I.I. Conference Championships by 13 seconds, she capped off an amazing year with a 6th place finish at Nationals. Cornwell earned All-American honors and led the #2 ranked Cougars to an upset victory over Azusa Pacific to win their 3rd consecutive NAIA National Championship.
Men’s Soccer: Scott RiceFreshman Scott Rice returned from a midseason injury to become a postseason hero for the Cougars. Rice scored twice for CSUSM in the A.I.I. Conference Championship Game, earning tournament MVP honors and leading the Cougars to their first appear-ance in the NAIA National Championship. Rice also went on to score against Azusa Pacific in first round of the national tournament, getting the Cougars an early lead be-fore falling in the second half.
Men’s Cross-Country: Daniel LyonLyon, a junior, missed some midseason races with injuries, but stepped up big for the Cougars when it mattered most. He showed no rust in winning the A.I.I. Conference Championship by a whopping 21 seconds, and then went on to earn NAIA All-Ameri-can honors with his 17th place finish at Nationals. Lyon and the Cougars were ranked #9 heading into the championships, but finished 2nd in the NAIA, the highest the team has ever placed.
Athletes of the Month Winners for November
Monday, Dec. 19WBBALL vs Menlo College, 3 p.m.
MBBALL vs Arizona Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 20MBBALL vs Montana Western, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 21WBBALL vs University of La Verne, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 19WBBALL vs Biola University, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21MBBALL vs La Sierra, 7:30 p.m
Tuesday, Dec. 6MBBALL vs Concordia, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 8WBBALL vs Loma Nazarene, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 10MBBALL vs Azusa Pacific, 4 p.m.
Do you prefer the Christmas tree smell and excitement of pick-ing a live tree each year or the consistency and convenience of an artificial Christmas tree?
People have different opinions on the matter because it’s related to family traditions.
“Its easier to have a fake tree. I grew up with a real tree til [sic] my parents got lazy,” student Adam Dettelbach said.
According to Art Espinoza, “The Christmas Tree Guy,” at Home Depot in Oceanside, artifi-cial trees are fairly easy to assem-ble, last longer than live Christ-
mas trees and are energy efficient. Though there are many pros to
artificial trees, some people still prefer real ones.
“I like real Christmas trees, if they stay alive. I mean sure fake Christmas trees will save you in the long run, but they take up so much space in storage and you have to assemble them,” student Chandra Charette said.
Artificial Christmas trees do not have the beloved pine smell and tend to be pricey.
It’s also a hassle to assemble and disassemble the artificial tree each year, let alone find a place to store it.
Still, people have their own tra-ditions when it comes to Christ-mas trees.
According to tree farmer Bill Warren of Mission Pines Christ-mas Trees in Fallbrook: live Christmas trees are fresh, have that wonderful “Christmas” smell and you get the pleasure of going out and picking your own Christ-mas tree.
There are a few cons in buying a live tree.
Since it is a tree, it’s flamma-ble, doesn’t live long and makes a mess with pine needles.
No matter how you feel on whether on the matter, it’s up to you.
“Christmas is not Christmas without the real Christmas tree,” student Tara De Gaetano said.
Professor Spotlight Jennifer LynchClasses: General Education Oral Communication (GEO).Campus Involvement: “I went to my first girls volley-ball game this season and a couple of the soccer games because I have students that are on the teams and I think more people need to go to the sporting events es-pecially instructors and teachers because you get to see a different side of the university.” Professor Lynch said.Alumnus of colleges: Bachelors from California State
University NorthRidge, Masters from San Diego State University.Years at CSUMS: 13Free Time: Quilting and motorcyclingInteresting Fact: Professor Lynch got her private pilot’s license in 2003.Dream Job Other Than Teaching: “I’d love to be a philanthropist, but you need money to do that.” Professor Lynch said.
Artificial vs. live Christmas treesWhat do you prefer?
While Christmas is one of the most widely-celebrated of holidays in American culture, many other holidays take place in close proximity in the calendar.
Another form of the Christmas celebration exists in the Catholic tradition. While many Christmas celebrations pay tribute to the birth of Jesus, Catholic celebrations express a form of preparation for the sec-ond coming of the Lord.
According to the Catholic Edu-cation Resource Center, “The Catholic Church has designated the four weeks preceding Christ-mas as Advent, a time to ‘prepare the way of the Lord.’”
The Catholic Education Re-source Center also lists in great detail many activi-ties of Advent. Each activ-ity including the Advent wreath, the blessing of the
tree and the Christ and Mary candles act as a symbol of the faith of the Catholic Church.
Hanukkah is a Jew-
ish holiday that is celebrated for eight days and nights.
“[Hanukkah] starts on the 25 of the Jewish month of Kislev,
which coincides with late November-late December on the secular calendar,” Ariela Pelaia wrote on her about.com article on Judaism. Pelaia, a professional
Jewish educator who received her Master’s degree in Jewish Studies at Columbia University, also shared how Hanukkah be-came popularized due to its proximity to Christmas.
“Because many Jews live in predominately Christian societies, over time Hanukkah has be-come much more festive and Christmas-like. Jewish children receive gifts for Hanuk-
kah – often one gift for each of the eight nights of the holiday,” she said.
Other Hanukkah traditions include the lighting of the meno-
rah candles each of the eight nights, the spinning of
the dreidel, a four-sided top with Hebrew letters on each side and eating fried foods.
Kwanzaa, a cultural holiday established in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga of CSU Long Beach, takes place from Dec. 26 - Jan. 1 is an African-American and Pan-African celebra-tion of family, community and culture.
The Official Kwanzaa website shares the customs of the holiday, stating that it builds on the activi-ties of the beginning of harvest celebrations in Africa.
The activities: ingathering, reverence, commemoration,
recommitment and cel-ebration, are a way to respectively reiterate the bonds between the people, express grati-tude towards the creator
for blessings, reflect on the past in an effort to learn lessons and honor ancestors, recommit to African ideals and celebrate the determination of Black freedom.
Winter Solstice, or the De-cember Solstice, i s a celebration dedicated to the beginning of winter. The date in which the celebra-
tion takes place differs annu-ally depending on “when the sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees,” accord-ing to timeanddate.com.On Circle Sanctuary’s
Guide to Pagan Holidays, Selena Fox encourages many traditions of Winter Solstice to commemorate the arrival of winter including strength-ening bonds with fam-ily and friends, bless-ing one’s home with a Yule wreath and mistletoe, collecting and donating food and clothing and greeting the sun on Solstice morning and the moon on Solstice night with bells.
F o x also sug-gests that the cel-ebrator identify his or her in-d i -vid-
ual purpose for celebrating, whether that may be to strengthen family bonding with one another, adjust family to Na-ture’s cycles or to just have fun, as well as many other reasons Fox lists.
These differ-ent celebrations that take place during this holiday
season display diversity in culture that presently
exists in American lifestyle.
San Diego Padres: Going back to basics
Like The Pride on Faceook& Follow us on Twitter
Features California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, California | Tuesday, December 6, 2011 | Visit The Pride online at csusmpride.com
The Ocean House is an iconic landmark of Carlsbad and pro-vides a decent happy hour with a unique setting.
The Ocean House is a beauti-ful Victorian era building that has been around for 120 years. It lies in the heart of downtown Carls-bad and is very close to the beach.
The Ocean House prides it-self on their Sunday champagne brunch served from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. which is hosted in a spacious dance room with large wooden fl oors. For students on a budget, head over to their bar room Monday – Friday, between 3 – 6 p.m. to take advantage of the happy hour while enjoying the antique setting.
The happy hour includes $2 off mixed cocktails, draft beers and
house wines. The beer list sup-ports local breweries with beers such as Ballast Point Black Mar-lin Porter, Stone Pale Ale, Coro-nado Orange Ave Wit, Green Flash 30th Street Pale Ale and Port Brewing Wipeout IPA. To fi ll up on snacks Ocean House provides cheap eats including $4 nachos, cheese fries, quesadillas or potato skins and $5 artichoke spinach dip and chicken strips.
The Ocean House also runs discounted domestic beer for $3 and $5 burger and fries during all football games.
What is most enticing about the Ocean House is the historic setting that mixes modern attrac-tions like banquets, weddings and salsa dancing on Sundays with rustic and antique architecture and design. The Palm Room, in the front, has a history that dates back to 1922 and is a nice lounge
with large windows overlooking the main walkway of downtown Carlsbad.
The Ocean House is open Mon-day – Wednesday 11 a.m. – mid-night, Thursday – Saturday 11 – 2 a.m. and Sunday 9:30 – 2 a.m. It is located on 300 Carlsbad Vil-lage Drive in Carlsbad.
Website: www.oceanhouse-carlsbad.com
Phone: (760) 729 – 4131
RedlandsDegrees.com(800) 862-8291
Fast forward your career.
Take advantage of multiple start dates, no requirement changes, Take advantage of multiple start dates, no requirement changes, and convenient block scheduling—ideal for working professionals.
Apple Valley | Rancho Cucamonga | Redlands | Santa Ana | Temecula
Fast forward your career.
Ask About Our
Reward Scholarship
Degree & Credential Programs Special Education Credential (11 months)
Starts January 2012!
Clinical Mental Health Advanced Training Certificate (1 year)
Spatial Literacy for Educators Certificate (15 months) Online!
Teaching Credential (10 months)
Professional Credential (7-24 months)
MA in Education
— Counseling (2 years)
— Curriculum and Instruction (15-24 months)
— Educational Administration (2 years)
— Higher Education (2 years)
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (2 years) Starts September 2012!
Doctorate in Leadership for Educational Justice (Ed.D.) (minimum 3 years)
Why Redlands? Accelerated programs: Credential in less
than a year with no requirement changes; earn your Master’s in 24 months or less.
Balances educational theory and practice through fieldwork assignments incorporated into classes.
U.S. News & World Report ranked U.S. News & World Report ranked U.S. News & World ReportRedlands both an A+ School and a Great Price.
Financial aid available.
No application fees.
Small class sizes.
Supportive learning environment.
NEW
NEW
If you don’t have special plans to celebrate the New Year, the Tournament of Roses Parade is an amazing experience to take part in.
Every year since 1890, Pasa-dena (located in the Los Angeles County, 2 hours away from San Marcos) housed traditional fl oats made entirely out of fl owers as well as the “Rose Bowl” game, which consists of the top colle-
giate college teams in the U.S. Marching bands, fl oats and
people come from all over the country to partake in this historic event, camping out days ahead of time in Old Town Pasadena, with tents and blankets along the pa-rade trail throughout the streets of the historic city.
Guests for the Rose Parade in-clude the mayor of Pasadena and the Grand Marshall, as well as the Rose Princesses and Queen, high school students who have been chosen from a cohort of
12th grade females, who have auditioned to represent the Tour-nament of Roses as Pasadena’s queen.
Beginning bright and early on Jan. 2 at 8 a.m., the 123rd Rose Parade will make its journey throughout Pasadena to present the work of thousands who de-vote the entire year to the debut of their fl oats. The Rose Parade is a great way to celebrate the ar-rival of the New Year by joining those who travel from all over the country to
Ringing in the New Year with roses
welcome another year of life.However, if you already have
plans in celebrating the New Year elsewhere, you can always watch
the televised version of the Pa-rade on any network channel, all day long ,Jan. 2.
Happy Hour of the Week: Ocean House in Carlsbad
Pause for Paws
Last week, after months of planning by out-reach librarian, Mel-anie Chu, the Love on a Leash foundation stopped by campus with furry four - legged friends to help de-stress students before fi nals. “We provide this interaction to have students go into their fi nals with as little stress as possible,” Chu said.
Edge Robotic Arm Kit ($38.29, Amazon.com)
Robotic toys are always a safe bet for the geek obsessed with all things mechanical. The Edge Robotic Arm Kit allows your geek to assemble and control a robotic claw to grab those pesky cans of Mountain Dew and bags of Doritos just out of reach. The arm bends at fi ve different axes, giving us-ers a range of precise controls and maneu-vers to complete the odd tasks your geek comes up with.
started wrapping up, she said she started thinking about what kind of gift we would like to have. The tease seemed endless. Suddenly, she announced that each audience member was getting a guaranteed ticket to one of her Twelve Days of Giveaways shows in Decem-ber. The audience exploded with applause, and my family and I talked about what would hap-pen at that December taping for months on end.
As an experienced Ellen show attendee, I’d like to offer a few tips to consider during your pre-show preparation if you are the next lucky winner of Ellen tick-ets. First, don’t wear dark colors. If you must, wear a black sweater and perhaps a bright scarf with it. Second, practice your dance moves, and don’t be tempted to use all your energy during the audience warm-up. Keep your movements controlled. Flailing around on TV does not trans-late well. You may think you are dancing “cute,” but big, un-choreographed moves, can look alarmingly like a seizure.
Marshmallow Shooters ($19.86-$29.99, ThinkGeek.com &
Amazon.com)For the geek that has everything, marsh-
mallow shooters can be a quick and cheap gift that packs plenty of entertainment. The air powered guns launch most types of store-bought marshmallows. Marshmallow shooters can be loads of fun depending on your geek’s level of maturity. If he or she tends to enjoy the occasional late night
“Call of Duty” session, you can expect to fi nd several rounds of marshmallows behind the couch and in your hair.
Star Wars Wampa Rug ($99.99, ThinkGeek.com)
For the nerdy bachelor, why not pur-chase an awesome new Wampa skin rug? All the way from the icy planet of Hoth, the terrifying Wampa now rests as a trophy for all Star Wars fans. The 62” L x 30” W rug is made from synthetic fur, so rest assured no actual Wampas were harmed in the mak-ing of this furry treasure.
One of the toughest parts of the holiday season is fi nding just the right gift for that special someone in our lives. Sometimes, the best gift is the one that is absolutely impractical and serves no real purpose other than to become a new addition in a nerdy collection of toys and gadgets.
There are a few easy things to keep in mind when choosing a good geek gift. First off, geeks love gifts from their favorite li-censed video game, TV, fi lm and comic series. Next, geeks enjoy technical toys (robots, mechanisms, etc.). Finally, geeks like weird things that you can’t fi nd at any old department store.
This holiday season, pick up something a bit more unconven-tional rather than the standard video game or DVD box set. Here’s a few examples to help get those motors running.
Opinion A&ECalifornia State University San Marcos, San Marcos, California | Tuesday, December 6, 2011 | Visit The Pride online at csusmpride.com California State University San Marcos, San Marcos, California | Tuesday, December 6, 2011 | Visit The Pride online at csusmpride.com
In the common Christmas-cele-brating household, the traditions of reciting “The Night Before Christmas” or reading Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” often take place.
Rarely, and sadly, does one hear about a tradition of reading Tru-man Capote’s heartwarming short story “A Christmas Memory.”
Set in Alabama in the 1930s and inspired by his childhood, Capote tells the story of a Christmas he shared with his friend, Miss Sook, an aging woman in her sixties.
Capote’s portrayal of his sev-en year-old self called Buddy is sweet, but the real charm is in his relationship with Miss Sook, whom he refers to as “my friend.”
Despite her age, Miss Sook is very much a child herself.
Together, they touch the lives of those around them, including a Mr. Haha Jones (ironically nick-named this because of his serious disposition). The reader cannot help but feel touched, as well.
In the Modern Library edi-tion of “A Christmas Memory,” you will also fi nd the short sto-ries “One Christmas” and “The Thanksgiving Visitor” which also feature Capote’s Buddy and Miss Sook.
“One Christmas” tells of a trip Buddy takes to stay with his fa-ther in New Orleans for the holi-day and “The Thanksgiving Visi-tor” tells of Buddy’s school bully nemesis being invited to Thanks-giving dinner.
While his stories possess a
child-like charm, Capote counters this with a very dark and personal tone which lies below the surface of the text. In a tragic life and up-bringing specifi cally, we can be grateful that Capote had some-one like Miss Sook to impart her love and wisdom upon him, a gift that will surely resonate with the reader.
Tales from the Nerd SideGeek Gifts: A short guide to some of the
nerdiest gifts for the holidays
Risk: Halo Wars Edition ($27.00, Amazon.com)
Risk, one of the geekiest board games of all time, just got a little geekier. The Halo li-cense adds a whole new world to conquer and three ways to play. Players can choose one of three sides: the Flood, the Covenant and the Spartans. Your geek and you can battle it out for all-or-nothing domination of the planet Arcadia.
Book Review: “A Christmas Memory” by Truman CapoteCapoteʼs classic story a Christmas treat
It is now that time of the year: hot chocolate in front of warming fi replaces, Christmas lights brightening up neighborhoods and my personal favorite: Christmas music. There is something special about grocery aisles blasting yuletide hits we all grew up with. This issue’s playlist is dedicated to Christmas music that warms our hearts as we prepare for
this holiday season.
You can’t start the holiday season off without listening to “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” by the amazing Gayla Peevey. This song is both catchy and cute and was
the primary reason I asked for a hippopotamus for Christmas every year.
One of the best parts of Christmas decorations is realizing you are standing right under mistletoe with someone you care about. This brings me to the next song, “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber. Not only is his voice sweet, but so is his heart. All proceeds from his Christ-
mas album, “Under the Mistletoe” went to charity.
Speaking of sweet voices, Michael Buble’s version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christ-mas” from his new holiday album, “Christmas,” is a must listen to. His jazz style and vel-vet voice will make you want to cuddle near a fi replace with your special “someone.” Speaking of cuddling, Glee’s version of “Baby, it’s Cold Outside,” a duet between characters Blaine and Kurt is a romantic song that musically captivates us to continue
listening as we anticipate the character’s future relationship.
Another traditional song remake from Glee’s second volume Christmas album is “Little Drummer Boy” sung by Artie, a character with a rough, but angelic voice for this year’s
Christmas episode. One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Believe” by Josh Groban from “The Polar Ex-press” soundtrack. Groban’s amazing voice beautifully captures the Christmas spirit as
he reminds us to believe in the magic that surrounds us every day.
In conclusion to this holiday playlist is none other than “Santa, Baby” originally recorded by Eartha Kitt, a provocative holiday favorite.
“The Polar Express” “The Polar Express” is an enchanting movie by Robert Zemeckis, based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg. Tom Hanks plays the
voice of fi ve different roles that bring a classic factor, capturing the true spirit of Christmas.
-Jessie Gambrell
I would like for Christmas:
Disneyland Passes. I am a huge Disney fanatic. For years I have wanted a Disneyland Southern California Select Pass. I love Disney-land but I wouldn’t want to go every
weekend. -Juliana Stumpp
I would like for Christmas: I draw almost everyday, managing with the pens and pencils that I also use for
school. I don’t need an entire kit, but a few pens for outlining and reliable
colored pencils will do.-Rebekah Green
I would like for Christmas: A watch, because I’ll be graduating in the spring and while attend-ing a Career Center workshop, I learned that it looks good to wear a watch to job interviews.
-Kyle Johnson
I would like for Christmas: To further complete my magical obsession, The Complete Harry Potter Collection hard-cover
book set.-Mellisa Martinez
I would like for Christmas: A Sony Alpha NEX 5-N camera. I’m in
desperate need of a camera since I destroyed mine accidently during
my summer vacation and the Sony camera is really awesome and cool
looking.-Jessie Gambrell
A favorite tradi-tion of mine is putting up the tree. My mom and I
work on it together, breaking out the ornaments including many that
I made as a kid. While we work on the tree, the radio station KyXy 96.5 is on in the background,
playing our favorite Christmas songs.
One of my fa-vorite Christmas traditions
was when my dad used to take
my siblings and me on a holiday
light tour through the Temecula/
Murrieta area. We would go see all the
houses that were especially dressed
up with holiday decorations and
lights. My favorite house was one
that had a Ferris wheel on the
driveway featuring the Peanuts gang.
Everyone in my
family comes to my house
for Christmas Eve. We wake up
around 6 a.m. to make tamales.
Once they’re done people bring
by presents for each other
and we eat the tamales!
Every holiday season I
look forward for a lot of traditions
with my family. When most homes open
presents the day of Christmas, my family and
I open ours Christmas Eve. After eating a great
meal my dad made and opening gifts under
our tree, we gather around a fi re and watch
our favorite Christmas movies. For years
this is how my family and I spend
Christmas Eve.
Every time
Christmas comes around
we decorate our house, play
lots of Christmas music, and drink
lots of eggnog. On Christmas Eve
we eat our traditional Kibbi and get
dressed up for mass. In the morn-
ing we open our presents togeth-
er and later have a beautiful
lamb dinner.
Editorial Staff
Editor-in-ChiefAshley Day
Design EditorMorgan Hall
Copy EditorAmy Salisbury
Comic ArtistFaith Orcino
Opinion EditorAmy Salisbury
A & E EditorMelissa [email protected]
Media ManagerChris [email protected]
AdvisorPam Kragen
Pride Staff Writers
Brianna CruzJessie GambrellRebekah GreenRogers JaffarianKyle M. JohnsonKristin MelodyBlaine H. MogilJuliana Stumpp
All opinions and letters to the editor, published in The Pride, represent the opinions of the author, and do not neces-sarily represent the views of The Pride, or of California State University of San Mar-cos. Unsigned editorials represent the ma-jority opinion of The Pride editorial board.
Letters to the editor should include an address, telephone number, e-mail, and identifi cation. Letters should be under 300 words and submitted via electronic mail to [email protected], rather than to the individual editors. It is the policy of The Pride not to print anonymous letters. Display and classifi ed advertising in The Pride should not be constructed as the endorsement or investigation or commercial enterprises or ventures. The Pride reserves the right to reject any ad-vertising.
The Pride is published twice a month on Tuesdays during the academic year. Dis-tribution includes 1,500 copies across 17 stands positioned through out the CSUSM campus.
The PrideCal State San Marcos333 S. Twin Oaks Valley RoadSan Marcos, CA 92236-0001Phone: (760) 750-6099Fax: (760) 750-3345Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Dec. 12, 2011 will be quite a day for me. No, I won’t be fi n-ished with fi nals. No, I won’t be going on a tropical vacation. Actually, I’m going to the Ellen DeGeneres Show for her Twelve Days of Giveaways. So far, it’s looking way better than a trip to Hawaii.
If you think you just show up at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank on the day of the show’s taping, you would be wrong. At-tending the Ellen show is a pro-cess which must be followed to the letter. Those who attend the Twelve Days of Giveaways must be invited by Ellen herself, a treat I received back in April of 2011.
My mom—a die-hard Ellen fan—scored tickets to a taping of the Ellen show on April 20 and, of course, invited yours truly. Fortunately, the guest packet mailed prior to the show outlines the dos and don’ts of an Ellen
audience member. If you’re late, you’re out. If you’re without ID, you’re out. If you’re a convicted criminal, you’re out (seriously—the Ellen show conducts pre-show background checks on its audience).
Once you fi nd yourself on the Ellen soundstage, chances are, you’re there to stay. Before you go into the studio, you have to walk through what Ellen calls the “riff raff” room. This is where the stand-by people who show up the day of the show go if there were no cancellations or open seats in the audience. It is actually Ellen’s very beautiful and well appointed gift shop, outfi tted with memora-bilia and several large HD TVs for remote viewing of the live show.
The riff raff room leads the audience into the set as you see on TV. If you wear bright colors, you’re more likely to get a seat toward the front of the stage as per the direction of the audience managers. Also, I sure did see a lot of blondes in the front row. Not that I’m insinuating the El-len show likes blondes better than
“The Mug” brunettes or anything.Anyway, once you’re seated,
fun, hilarious people warm-up the audience pre-show and get you dancing—a lot. I’m talking out-of-breath, sweaty, spastic, spon-taneous dancing for a half hour before the show even begins.
Then, Ellen fi nally emerges. The crowd screams and cheers with what energy they have remaining as Ellen dances up and down the aisles. Before we knew it, the au-dience receives a $100 gift card to Rite Aid (score!). Then we got to see Reese Witherspoon talk about her movie “Water for Elephants,” Paul Walker discuss something related to his career (all I recall is getting an advanced screening of a cologne commercial he was starring in) and a young Justin Bieber wanna be called Jackson Guthy perform a song that is still stuck in my head: L-O-V-I-N-G. Overall, it was a pretty entertain-ing group.
Throughout the whole show, El-len kept teasing us with iPad sto-ries. Every single person thought we were going to get an iPad by the end of the show. When Ellen
